Kubek in the Carpatho-Ruthenica Library in Toronto

From December 15 to December 20, 2015, Nick Kupensky (Yale University) traveled to the University of Toronto, where he worked in Professor Paul Robert Magocsi’s Carpato-Ruthenica Library. He searched for Kubek’s work in Carpatho-Rusyn calendars, newspapers, magazines, and secondary sources from Europe.

As a result, a number of previously undocumented texts written by Kubek were discovered, one of which is a letter written by Kubek published in the magazine Uchitel’ | Educator in March 1932. In the letter, Kubek reveals that the celebration in honor of his 50th year in the priesthood was concealed from him until the very last minute. He writes:

The church committee, at the same time as the consecration of the new church and rectory (November 26, 1931) secretly organized a banquet for the 50th anniversary of my ordination – I only learned about this three days before, otherwise I wouldn’t have allowed it – a choir of cantors from the Scranton area brought me unimaginable happiness not only because of their beautiful singing at the banquet but also because of their precious gift in the name of all education. I wasn’t in a state to thank them at the time, so here in your magazine I want publicly to send my most heartfelt thanks to you, gentlemen cantors and brothers: God bless!

In response, the editor of the magazine, George Gulanich, says that Kubek “really is the greatest, most remarkable, and most popular writer in our American Rus’.” Read Kubek’s full letter and Gulanich’s response here: “Glory to Our Father Kubek”.

A full list of new texts acquired by the Kubek Project will be posted soon.

Photograph of the Carpatho-Ruthenica Library at the University of Toronto (2015).